Karen's TOP 10 Gift Ideas for Your Favorite Midlife Gal

Whether you’re shopping for Christmas gifts, a special birthday gift, or just looking for a simple way to spoil yourself - my Top 10 Gift Ideas are perfect for any midlife gal experiencing those pesky growing pains that come with the menopause transitions!!

KAREN’S TOP 10 GIFTS THAT ANY MIDLIFE GAL WOULD LOVE!!

  At-Home Spa Products
It’s not so easy to get away for a little spa treatment right now, so why not bring the spa to YOU!! Plus, it’s a great way to help reduce stress and give your happy hormones a little boost!

A relaxing face mask, at home pedicure goodies, essential oils, and even some rose petals for the bathtub are a great way to create a spa-like atmosphere. Add a nice bottle of wine and a scented candle and you got yourself one heck of a self-care retreat right in your own home!

Comfy footwear
One of the more unexpected menopausal symptoms is joint pain. As women go through this new season, their ankles, hips, and knees can start to become more irritated and sore. It’s super important that we are showing our feet a little TLC too!

Lotions to help keep our skin soft (remember dry skin is an issue in midlife too). Comfy, warm socks because it’s very common with a drop in hormones that your feet (and hands) get cold often. And definitely comfortable shoes to help decrease knee pain and joint stiffness.

Hair Treatments
One of the things women notice as they get older is that their hair undergoes some changes. Hair thinning, brittleness, dryness, and changes to the over texture of the hair can all occur during the menopausal transition. Keeping hair healthy can help you minimize some of these issues.

Hair masks, vitamins, moisturizing shampoos, and conditioners designed specifically for “more mature hair” are all great options to protect and preserve hair health and give it a little boost. My favorite hair care brand is Better Not Younger.

Beauty Products that are Nourishing
Makeup formulas have to change as our bodies change. Skin becomes dry as we get older and finding the right products to help soothe and nourish the skin is crucial. Makeup tends to dry out skin, increase acne, and cause buildups of bacteria that can be irritating to more mature skin. So look for makeup products that can give you what your skin needs to be healthy without sacrificing your personal style.

Planners
I love office supplies - I know super dorky, but I’m okay with that. One of my favorite things to do each day is to create a to-do list. There is seriously nothing more satisfying then to cross off an item on that list with a feeling of accomplishment. It can be especially gratifying when you are working towards an important goal.

And let’s be honest - with midlife comes a lack of concentration, forgetfulness, and brain fog - keeping a planner can help you stay on task, avoid missing appointments, and keeping your electricity on (don’t ask!)

A Soft Blanket
Sometimes the best gift you can give is comfort. As I mentioned above, it’s common for women to experience having issues regulating their body temperature, even when it’s 90 degrees outside, feeling cold is a common problem for menopausal and postmenopausal women. A comfortable, soft, warm blanket can make all the difference. It’s a great gift to snuggle up with and given how many menopausal women suffer from insomnia, a comfy blanket can help make sleep a little better.

Fitness Equipment
Women naturally experience weight gain and fluctuations, as well as a loss of muscle mass and bone density as they go through menopause. Staying consistent with your fitness routine can help you keep your bones and muscles strong, as well as boost your immune system, metal health and heart health.

Fun athletic clothes, colorful yoga mats, a variety of weights, resistance bands, and even a cute little water bottle can help get you in the mood when you are lacking the motivation or energy to knock out a quick workout. My favorite places to shop for athletic gear are Fabletics and Athleta. Both look absolutely fantastic on any shape and size!!

A Good Book
One of my favorite things to do is unplug, snuggle up on the sofa with my pups and get lost in a good book! I read a lot of personal and professional development books, but nothing beats a juicy romance novel or a little suspenseful fiction!

A few books I’d recommend getting your hands on in midlife include:
I Thought it was Just Me by Brene Brown
The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Imperfect Courage by Jessica Honegger
The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor
Dare to Lead by Brene Brown
Do It Scared by Ruth Soukup
Untamed by Glennon Doyle
Love Yourself Healthy by Stacy Solie
Your Second Life Begins When You Realize You Have One by Raphaelle Giordano
Menopocalyse by Amanda Thebe
The Midlife Kitchen: health-boosting recipes for midlife & beyond by Mimi Spencer and Sam Rice
Why We Can't Sleep: Women's New Midlife Crisis by Ada Calhoun

The Gift of Laughter, Grace, and Friendship
Menopause doesn’t have to feel like an obstacle course. Finding the humor in this journey can help women feel more in control. I encourage you to look for the humor within all the chaos.

And don’t underestimate the power of giving yourself a little grace. You’re going to have your good days and your bad. Be kind and forgiving - treat yourself like you would treat your best friend and that includes how you talk to yourself!!

And finally Friendship. Now that your kiddos are a little older or maybe even out of the house, you have the free time to schedule a coffee date with a friend or meet up for a nice long relaxing lunch. Take the time to reconnect, laugh, share, cry, vent, celebrate - girlfriends are one of the BEST resources you can have during this time!!

The Gift of Pleasure
Yup! You heard me. One of the most common complaints I get from clients usually has something to do with sex, intercourse, libido, and/or satisfaction (or the lack there of).

As we get older and our estrogen levels drop, it affects everything from head to toe including our beloved lady parts! Your libido drops, sex may become uncomfortable or painful. You don’t have the energy or confidence to be sexy or feel sexy. You may be experiencing issues with poor pelvic floor health, incontinence, or vaginal atrophy. Your sexual health is important - so important I created a whole course on it! (More on that coming in 2021!)

A great gift you can give yourself or BFF (maybe not so much for the co-worker) is pleasure - whether that’s lubes, moisturizers, vibrates, or dildos. My favorite place to shop: https://middlesexmd.com/collections/all

All jokes aside, make sure you are talking to your partner and doctor about any problems you are experiencing. You deserve to have a healthy relationship and that includes intimacy that is satisfying for both of you!!

Well there you have it - my top 10 gift ideas. I’d love to hear from YOU. What would you add to this list that any midlife gal would love to get?